Haemophagus / Bloodraised / Sick Bong Headquarter

A great thing about the phenomena we call the internet is that the DIY scene can flourish, and bands and labels from all over the world can easily cooperate in order to release well-deserved records that otherwise might not have surpassed the stage of tape trading. But the days of tape trading are over now. Unfortunately this phenomenon also allows seriously arse-sucking bands to release shitty records that never should’ve left their rehearsalrooms. But these eight labels here have thankfully managed to deliver a worthy split between three Italian mangle acts.

First up are the old school deathsters in Haemophagus with five tracks (of which one is a Pungent Stench cover). But it’s not all old school death, there’s a hefty dose of old school grindcore á la Repulsion and such as well, making it a fine mixture with the Nihilist-reminiscent old school death metal. The chunky, almost thrashing at times, riffing along with the blasting (which remain within the sane old school tempo, not the modern day ‘whomever blast the fastest wins’ category) lays a powerful base, only to have the brutal vocals complete the recipe. And the vocals really push it up a notch, as the growls seem to resound in a cave. "The mournful march" throws a curve-ball as it spruces things up with some doom metal influences, also very old school. Musically Haemophagus might not be anything new; but it’s still bloody great!

Next out is a crusty grindcore act called Bloodraised. I’ve never heard of them before, but it reminds me a lot of American 90ies stuff such as Abstain, Disrupt and Destroy. It definitely gets the nostalgia juices flowing as it’s been a long time since I heard a new act deliver this magnitude of true old school crust/grind. The sound quality is crackling, almost as if ripped from a vinyl, which just makes my cozy feelings of nostalgia grow even stronger. The riffing is simple and effective with some minor semi-melodic leads to be heard, the drumming switches from more classic hardcorepunk beatings to pure blasting and Sara’s vocals bring with it such a harsh, raspy undertone, which really adds tons of adrenaline and aggression to the music. If you’re a fan of any of the previously mentioned acts I advice you to check these Italians out.

And last we have the grinders Sick Bong Headquarter. With a name like that and track titles like "Marijuana doesn’t kill", "My chemical friend" and "Hash in pipe not in the bong" it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what this band is all about. Musically this stuff reminds me a lot of their fellow countrymen Dysmorfic in that semi-gored grindcore that still carries a touch of hardcorepunk to it. I don’t care for their message (well, I don’t care about it at all, so to say) but their music is sort of effective. It doesn’t breathe any new life into the scene or genre, but is rather a simple display of grindcore frenzy. A sort of band one will most likely enjoy moshing like crazy to live.

Originally written for http://www.mylastchapter.net